Reinsdorf and his group purchased the White Sox and Comiskey Park from Bill Veeck
in 1981. Reinsdorf, also an attorney and CPA, made his fortune in Chicago real estate,
heading up the multi-billion-dollar Balcor
Corporation. Reserved, and uncomfortable
in the spotlight, Reinsdorf also purchased the controlling interest in the NBA Chicago
Bulls in 1985.
(RL)
FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY
»January 29, 1981: AL owners approve the sales of two franchises, the White Sox to Jerry Reinsdorf and Eddie Einhorn for $20 million, and 80 percent of the Mariners to George Argyros for $10.4 million.
»June 24, 1993:
Carlton Fisk of the White Sox, plays his 2,226 and final ML game, surpassing Bob Boone's record of 2,225 for most games caught. Fisk reluctantly retires with 3,999 total bases, the most ever for a catcher. The Sox will exacerbate Fisk's bitterness by refusing to allow him into the locker room after the Sox make the playoffs this year. When the Sox retire Fisk #72 in 1997, Fisk will request that Jerry Reinsdorf and GM Ron Schueler not be there for the ceremony, and when he goes into Cooperstown he will wear a Red Sox cap. A clerical error about three games caught in 1981 in which Fisk relieved initially gives him a total of 2,229 games caught. This error will appear on Fisk's Hall of Fame plaque when he is inducted, the 5th edition of Total Baseball, and the 1997 edition of The Sports Encyclopedia-Baseball. Other records books such as the final edition of The Baseball Encyclopedia, the 1997 editions of The Sporting News Complete Baseball Record Book and the Elias Book of Baseball Records both correctly showed him with 2,226 games caught lifetime. SABR historian Wayne McElreavy and others note the discrepancy and the plaque and subsequent editions of the record books have corrected the total to 2,226.
»September 14, 1997: Sandy Alomar hits a bases-loaded single to key a bizarre seven-run 8th, and Cleveland defeats Chicago, 8–3. Jim Thome nails his 40th homer for the Indians. Chicago ties a major league record by using nine pitchers in the nine-inning game, including five in the 8th. The 4th in that inning, Keith Foulke, is called in without a warmup by manager Terry Bevington to intentionally walk a batter. The Tribe increases its American League Central lead to seven 1/2 games over Chicago and Milwaukee. Before the game the Sox retire Carlton Fisk's #72. Bitter over his 1993 release and not being allowed into locker room during the playoffs that year, Fisk requests that Jerry Reinsdorf and GM Ron Schueler not be there for the ceremony.
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